Many heat transfer systems have been developed using solar energy to modify the temperature of desired portions of a building, hereafter called the "conditioned space", and to supply domestic hot water for the building. It is the object of this invention to provide such a system that is versatile, economical and efficient in modifying the temperature and humidity of the conditioned space of the building and in supplying domestic hot water.
A first aspect of the invention deals with a core that is adapted to be separately manufactured and installed as a unit during the construction of the building and that serves as a structural columnar component of the building. The core includes components of the heat transfer system and thus effects economics in the building construction. The core includes a framework that is attached to structural components of the building and a water tank located interiorly of the core and connected to the core. An air transmission mechanism is mounted to the core for conveying air to the conditioned space. A water operated system is also mounted to the core for modifying the temperature of the air being conveyed to the conditioned space.
The air is conveyed to the conditioned space by a blower that blows the air from the entrance end to the exit end of an enclosure. The temperature of the air is modified by water flowing through a heat exchanger located in the enclosure. The water is pumped through the heat exchanger from either a first tank section or a second tank section. A second aspect of the invention is concerned with an arrangement for the selective pumping of the water from a desired tank section using the same pump. This is accomplished by providing a selector mechanism movable between a first position and a second position and a conduit means so constructed that, when the selector mechanism is in one position, the the pump forces water from the first tank section through the heat exchanger and back to the first tank section and, when the selector mechanism is in its other position, the pump forces water from the second tank section through the heat exchanger and back to the second tank section.
A third aspect of the invention is concerned with the use of a heat pump to enable heated water to flow through the heat exchanger and thus cause the air flowing past the heat exchanger to be heated. As is conventional, the heat exchanger comprises an evaporator, a condenser and an arrangement for causing a refrigerant composition to flow from the evaporator where the refrigerant composition extracts heat from the space adjacent the evaporator to the condenser where the heat is transferred from the condenser. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the heat is transferred to water flowing through a water passage in the condenser and this water is caused to flow in a closed circuit from the water passage through the heat exchanger and back to the water passage.
The heat transfer system includes a solar collector so connected to the first and second tank sections as to enable water to be circulated to one or the other tank section and then back to the solar collector to thereby heat the water in the tank sections. A fourth aspect of the inventions deals with an effective and economical arrangement for circulating the water from the solar collector to either the first or the second tank section using a single pump. This is accomplished by providing a selector mechanism movable between a first position and a second position. The selector system is so related to the water circulation system and to the pump that, when the selector mechanism is in its first position, the pump pumps water from the solar collector to the first tank section and back to the solar collector and, when the selector mechanism is in its second position, the pump pumps water from the solar connector to the second tank section and back to the solar collector.
The solar collector and the tank are so related that the upper level of the water in the tank is higher than the lowermost level of the water in the solar collector and the water, in being pumped between the solar collector and the tank, flows through pipes or conduits that are so arranged that the water flowing from the tank to the solar collector is forced from the tank at a higher level than the lowermost level of the water in the solar collector. A normally closed drain device is placed in the conduit line flowing from the tank to the solar collector in a segment of the conduit line that is below the level of the solar collector so as to enable the water in the solar collector to be drained by opening the drain device. The opening of the drain device creates the problem of undesired siphoning of water from the tank through the conduit line to the drain device. In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, this problem is solved by incorporating in a segment of the conduit line that is between the tank and the drain device and that is at a higher level than the water in the tank a vent that is open to atmosphere.
The heat transfer system includes a pump driven conduit arrangement for removing the water from the solar collector back to the tank. Instead of using the same pump, for this purpose, as the pump that circulates the water from the tank through the solar collector and back to the tank which would require a relatively expensive reversible pump motor and valving, in accordance with a sixth aspect of the invention a pump that is separate from the pump that circulates the water from the tank through the solar collector and back to the tank is utilized to remove the water from the solar collector. The heat transfer system has two conduit systems, each of which incorporates one of the pumps, and a selector arrangement so integrated into the conduit systems as to selectively render one or the other of the conduit systems operational.
A seventh aspect of the invention relates to a humidification system for humidifying the air flowing through the enclosure. Ducts are provided between the enclosure and the top of the tank above the water in the tank to enable water vapor from the tank to be added to the air flowing through the tank. In order to prevent minerals from the water in the tank from being added to the air flowing through the enclosure and in order to prevent an excessive accumulation of minerals in the tank, in accordance with this aspect of the invention a mineral trap of porous material having substantially the same external dimensions as the internal dimensions of the tank is located within the tank and floats on the water in the tank.
An eighth aspect of the invention deals with the construction of the selector mechanism. The selector mechanism has a back plate with a number of holes extending therethrough that are in excess of and a multiple of two, a front plate having two holes extending therethrough, a rotatable body interposed between the plates that is indexable by its rotation into a plurality of positions, and passages through the body so constructed that in each of the body positions a different pair of holes extending through the backplate are in communication with the holes extending through the front plate.